Je’Marion Westbrook scored 23 points on nearly flawless shooting to lift Delta State to a 68-64 victory over Lee on Thursday night at Walker Arena in Cleveland, Tennessee. Westbrook made 10 of 11 shots, including three 3-pointers, for the Statesmen (10-15, 7-13 Gulf South Conference).
Bryce Clayton posted his first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He made four 3-pointers and was perfect from the free-throw line, converting all four attempts. Dacory Porter added 16 points and five assists for Delta State.
Lee (11-12, 8-11) held a narrow 28-27 lead at halftime after a back-and-forth first half that featured six lead changes. Westbrook scored 11 points in the first half, including a layup in the closing seconds to cut the deficit to one.
Delta State pulled away early in the second half, building a 51-41 lead with 10:18 remaining. The Statesmen relied heavily on their perimeter shooting, finishing 11 of 26 from 3-point range, and made 13 of 14 free throws to secure the win.
Lee mounted a late rally, trimming the deficit to two after a 3-pointer from Ben Ritger. However, Clayton made two free throws with one second remaining to seal the victory. Phillip Hughes added six points and four rebounds for Delta State.
Zach Gray led Lee with 11 points, while Tylon Chatman scored 13 and Dayveun Anderson finished with 10. Willie Walton grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for the Flames.
Delta State led for more than 30 minutes and controlled the game’s pace by shooting well from the perimeter and executing in crunch time. The team will next face Trevecca Nazarene in Nashville on Saturday at approximately 4 p.m. Central Time.
